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Procedures

Photographs

Possible additional procedures

There are many dental conditions which a dentist may wish to monitor in photographs that could lead to the need for treatment. Photographs that suggest an ongoing bruxing pattern generally leads to recommendation for any or all of the following: radiographs, casts of the teeth, occlusal guards, occlusal adjustments, orthodontics, crowns, onlays, and fillings.

Photographs that suggest the gums are receding frequently leads to diagnoses of bruxism, malocclusion, and/or periodontal disease. Gum recession is often treated by a surgical periodontal procedure called "subepithelial connective tissue grafting." Periodontal disease can be treated non-surgically by scaling & root planing and localized antibiotic administration.

More information on dental procedures

Casts
Dental procedure image: Casts
Casts are accurate, three-dimensional replicas of a patient's teeth which are made by pouring dental plaster or acrylic into "impressions" (imprints, or molds) of the teeth...
Crowns
Dental procedure image: Crowns
A crown is a type of tooth restoration that covers all or a substantial portion of a badly broken down or decayed tooth...
Equilibration
Dental procedure image: Occlusal adjustments
Equilibration involves adjusting the way teeth fit together, such that when the jaws are closed together, the forces on the teeth are approximately equal...
Fillings & core buildups
Dental procedure image: Fillings and core buildups
Fillings are among the most frequently prescribed and versatile methods of restoring damaged or decayed teeth to proper appearance and function...
Localized antibiotic administration
Dental procedure image: Localized antibiotic administration
Antibiotics are drugs which, when prescribed at traditional doses, either kill or prevent reproduction of bacteria...
Occlusal guards
Dental procedure image: Occlusal guards (night guards)
Occlusal guards are worn over the biting surfaces of either the upper or lower teeth and evenly distribute bite forces to protect the teeth and the temporomandibular joints from stresses...
Onlays
Dental procedure image: Onlays
An onlay is a type of cusp-covering dental restoration that is made in a laboratory or by a computer controlled milling machine from either ceramic, composite resin, gold, titanium or other metals...
Orthodontics
Dental procedure image: Orthodontics
Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that specializes in proper alignment of the teeth, jaws and facial bones...
Periodontal surgery
Dental procedure image: Periodontal surgery
Periodontics is a surgical specialty of dentistry that involves treatment of disease processes affecting the gums and tooth supporting bone...
Radiographs
Dental procedure image: Radiographs (X-rays)
Radiographs, ("X-rays") are used by dental health professionals to evaluate hard tissue (teeth and bones) for signs of disease process or abnormalities...
Scaling & root planing
Dental procedure image: Scaling and root planing
Scaling & root planing (SRP) are terms most often used together to describe a non-surgical periodontal procedure for the treatment of early to moderate periodontal disease...